Tuesday, January 12

So... What music gets you "UP" the most?

You know, the opposite of thoughtful, depressing, philosophical music. Doesn't mean it has to be brain-dead, but it could be. The main thing is you put it on when you're in a great mood, a world-beating mood, and nothing will get you down. Bands like ABBA and such did that kind of thing for me when I was young, and provided a nice counterpoint to introspective obsessions like Dan Fogelberg. Disco did it for a lot of people as a cure from a decade of oh-so-serious folk music. What is your GO music?

My sister's would be Madonna for sure. Possibly Ricky Martin too; the woman's got a lot of "up" bands from pop/disco to 80s hair-metal (but not death metal, see the difference?). Mine would have to be Moloko/Roisin Murphy. It's like a guilty pleasure I don't feel guilty about at all. She makes me feel good with her sweet, soulful voice and lyrical hooks, her crazy dancing and the musicians remixing things to a feverish pitch. One of those acts which takes it up a big notch live from what's on their records; and what on their records is good. It happens she's not fluff either, which is an added perk... like Madonna in her early days, there's more to her that casual listeners might think. She's a real song writer. In other words, she's nothing like Kylie Minogue or Lady Gaga or any of the American R&B/pop divas who have everything done for them - all they do is provide the voice and the looks. But HEY - that's ok too, if it's your thing.

I am also really enjoying Royksopp though they are more electronica and a lot more pleasantly mellow. That's on the road to Karin Dreijer/The Knife/Fever Ray though, which is decidedly not very "up." And performers like Bjork and Depeche Mode can do both - give me chills in a good way or sober me up quick. Hell, I still like old George Michael and Michael Jackson too, though I don't listen to them much any more. And I've loved Terence Trent D'Arby's music ("Sign your name across my heart..." in case you forgot) since he dropped from heaven to earth fully-formed back in the '80s. '70s glam-Bowie does it for me sometimes, same with '90s glam-Placebo. But for just pure unadulterated, crank up the radio, consistently put me in a good mood music, with almost no downbeat songs, unless they are sultry and groovy and funky, which is good too in its own right, I have to go with Ms. Murphy (and her former band Moloko). Just something about her. Oh yeah, she's really pretty! But something more than that too. She's glamorous and a goofball at the same time... I could marry someone like that :)

So spill it! Who makes you feel good, gets you out of a funk, or prolongs or caps off an already great mood? Everyone is immune from apology or embarrassment in this post. If you like Madonna, say it! If it's Pet Shop Boys or New Order or The Bee Gees or U2 or Blondie or The Beach Boys, say it! Doesn't matter, if it makes you feel good, it's not wrong.

Namaste.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

The music I like to listen to the most, that uplifts my soul... hmmmm Kasabian, Foo Fighters, The Delays, The kooks, I also like listening to Beyonce atm and a bit of lady gaga!

Metamatician said...

Thanks! First post, place of honour!

Anonymous said...

First posts ftw! hahaha

Kinda hard to post through my live journal.

Metamatician said...

No worries, it worked!

Now to lure others in...

Unknown said...

My up music?
Lenka is the first name that crossed my mind ("The Show", "Trouble is a friend", i.e.): light-hearted indeed.
Alanis Morissette, from "Jagged Little Pill" on: songs to be sung out loud. Perfect for housecleaning ;-)
Carmen Consoli, an Italian singer and songwriter (listen to the songs "Parole di burro", "Orfeo", "L'ultimo bacio"). But then some of her lyrics make me too pensive and melancholic...
Mmh, all women, I just realised now...
Ha det bra!
Love,
g

Metamatician said...

Jag kommer gärna! Tack för att du tog dig tid att svara.

You're an Italian wolf in Swedish sheep's clothing =P

Thanks for the musical suggestions, besides Alanis, I've not heard of any! I will try to fix that...

Addio!
~J~

Anonymous said...

Oh oh Alanis is very good for house cleaning!!!

Hans said...

Beach Boys, IZ, Eagles, Elvis, Beatles, Cliff Richard, Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Doors, Johnny Cash, George Straight, Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor, Michael Franks, John Denver, Neil Diamond, Paul Simon, Simon and Garfunkel, Rod Stewart, Bob Seger, and ........Dan Fogelberg!

Metamatician said...

Wow that's a lot! I can identify with all of them though having grown up with most. More soothing than energizing, I'd say. But good band for sure!

Now the question... Why are you still up?

Unknown said...

Addio sounds like farewell forever, Justin! Ciao is much better ;)
@ Chaoticbliss: glad I'm not the only one cleaning with Alanis :D even if it has been a long while since last time I put on her music!
Johnny Cash is great... but he's very sad to me. Same with Simon&Garfunkel and others you named, Hans. Weird how people draw positive energy from different things.
Beatles... great UP music for everybody, I guess!
Hej då, g

Metamatician said...

Yeah, while I like all the music that Hans mentioned, I don't consider most of them UP music. Some maybe... Eagles, Fleetwood Mac. But Simon and Garfunkel to me is like Leonard Cohen - I want to sit and listen in headphones, not rock out with my **** out, if you know what I mean.

I like less somber bands when I'm in that happy mood. Dido is a good example, she's easy to listen to an mostly upbeat. Everyone hates Paramore but they're ok. Green Day, old U2, old New Order are all good.

Intimate music like Dead Can Dance, Nick Cave, Nick Drake, Dylan, The Cure, Elliot Smith, The Smiths, Radiohead, Swans, Doors, Tim Buckley, Jeff Buckley, Emilian Torrini, Ennio Morricone.... no. As brilliant as all these are, it's not what I'm after.

I thought of some more bands that ARE what I'm after though! Garbage, Soundgarden/Audioslave/Chris Cornell (rock!!!!), Gnarls Barkley, OLD Duran Duran, U2 Achtung Baby and How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (just those two), NO COLDPLAY, The Clash!!!, Big Audio Dynamite, Joe Strummer solo, Juliana Hatfield (some of her more uplifting stuff), some Lemonheads, lots of Reggae like Bob Marley, Michael Rose of Black Uhuru, Junior Reid, Gregory Isaacs, Anthony B, and Don Carlos, a large part of Love and Rockets' music, mmm...Nirvana is a bit dark for this category so not them... Men at Work (!), The Sundays, The Cranberries, Dire Straits, Marcy Playground, The Stones, VIOLENT FEMMES!!, 2Pac, much of classic REM, a little of Franz Ferdinand, and of course The Beatles! How could I forget.

Giuseppina, ciao mia bella amica, ma solo per ora. Meglio? :D

Metamatician said...

More people, more, more, more!!

Metamatician said...

Then go read my newest poem and comment on that ;-)

Jk, you don't have to.

Justin Sias said...

Brigitte Bardot, Os Mutantes, Deerhunter, Animal Collective, The Black Lips

Metamatician said...

Brigitte Bardot eh? "THE" BB or a band named after her? I like Animal Collective too, and have heard of the others. I'll give them them a listen. Thanks!

Justin Sias said...

great song by miss bardot

Metamatician said...

I knew about the hot part, not so much about the singing. Thanks! Lol, if it were only in English it would remind me of the obscure 60s female songs Morrissey liked to cover (Cilia Black, Nancy Sinatra, et al), and if it were much darker and dronier it would remind me of Nico :)

Thanks for opening my eyes... She does sound quite happy!

Metamatician said...

(For the record everyone, that's my friend with, yes, my identical name - though not middle name - who lives in Georgia, The Peach State. We communicate telepathically of course and understandably sometimes receive one another's email. I got off with the better gmail address though =P

I believe we're the only two so-named people on the planet, but you never know...)

AliTheGreat said...

i like anything that i can turn up in the car and sing along to. LOUD. something where you Know the singer is Really Feeling It, my pain, my joy, my frustration, whatever it is! janice joplin, queen, james brown (get up offa that thing! HAAAA!), john legend, lizz wright, india.arie, alanis morissette are some of my faves, but i also love some good disturbed, korn, system of a down, sevindust, vintage white zombie for really rocking out on a long trip. if i'm cleaning house, it's hard to beat some of my sassy females of pop- christina aguilara, pink, britney spears, lady gaga, the ladies keep me grooving and help get the floors mopped while also allowing me to damage my eardrums and vocal chords simultaneously, which i freakin love.

AliTheGreat said...

o yeah! forgot about all the great "party" music, beastie boys, kid rock, emimem, you know, guys who write about drinking and having fun and being rebellious... i love that too. i could go on and on, music is the BEST and even the sad songs, when you really sing them OUT... man, that can make a person feel SO much better! dixie chicks! another great band! goodbye earl! i'm not ready to make nice either!

Anonymous said...

Reggae rocks my boat ... not to sound too cliche, but you can't go wrong with some good ol' Bob Marley. Some Maxi Priest, Freddie McGreggor, Beres Hammond.
Some R&B, Old school Rap, Electronica, and of course, french music ...
Olivier J.

Metamatician said...

All right, a guy who knows his reggae! I like. Thanks for stopping by, Ollie!

Metamatician said...

...et partie de la musique rap français est assez étonnant!

Just match it with a video of some parkour.... instant adrenaline!

Hans said...

I stick by my choices. Those groups can bring me out of a depression - where UP music just gives me a headache usually, but then again, I'm older than fossils.

Metamatician said...

All right! Someone immune to peer pressure and who knows what she likes. That's admirable.

*Older* than fossils, lol.

Unknown said...

Lately, The Ting Tings. In general, MJ´s Billie Jean (the Chris Cornell version I like too, but you can´t really add it to an up music list, can you?). a lot of Crowded House, especially Locked Out, Roisin´s Night of the Dancing Flame, The Auteur´s Lenny Valentino, The Smashing Pumpkins´ Today, the first Killers album, Maximo Park, and I´d agree with you on depeche Mode, though yes, they bring out all sorts of moods.

Hmm, I shall ponder this some more...maybe write a long list for you over the weekend.

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